Fate somehow brought me to this gig…
As December Falls are one of the best bands to shoot live and, as it happens, not too shabby to listen to either. When I discovered they were main support for Dance Gavin Dance in Glasgow tonight, Scottish Music Network simply had to be here.
There was just one small problem: rather embarrassingly, I had never actually heard of Dance Gavin Dance. Thankfully, YouTube came to the rescue, as it so often does, and after a little research it became clear that this was a band with energy to spare. Result!
The venue was SWG3 in Glasgow’s West End, a multi-roomed complex capable of hosting several events at once. Tonight was one of those nights, with two separate queues forming outside. The extremely long, snake-like line was for Dance Gavin Dance, which seemed like a fairly decent indication of what was waiting inside.
As always, SWG3’s staff and security were on the ball and I was through the doors without a hitch.
There was another pleasant surprise on arrival. I had expected two bands. There were three. Another result!
While most of the early arrivals headed towards the bar or joined the long merchandise queue, first band Dwellings took to the stage. Hailing from Sacramento, California, the five-piece were making their first appearance in Glasgow and arrived with an album and several singles already under their belts.
Their opening was understated rather than spectacular, but there was no shortage of intent. In front of a sparse but steadily growing audience, the band set about proving that they were the real deal. There were no gimmicks or attempts to reinvent the wheel; instead, they relied on grit, musicianship and sheer determination. By the time they finished, a few more Glasgow heads were nodding in approval. One to keep an eye on, I reckon.
With three bands on the bill, the turnaround had to be rapid and, almost before we knew it, As December Falls were ready to go.
The reaction from their supporters was immediate. ADF are no strangers to Glasgow and have built a strong following within the alternative and metal scene here. From the opening notes of ‘Carousel’, they set about dismantling SWG3.
The energy was off the scale from the first second, with blue-haired Bethany kicking, whirling and posing her way across the stage like the rock star she is rapidly becoming. For those of us behind the cameras, she is an absolute gift. (I hope the photographs go some way towards proving it.)
Then came the absolute banger that is ‘Everything’s on Fire But I’m Fine’, prompting the inevitable reaction from the crowd as a mosh circle opened up and the temperature inside the room rose several degrees.
Nine songs was never going to be enough for the hungry ADF faithful, but the short set packed in everything you could reasonably ask for. The pit grew with almost every track, while Bethany and Ande repeatedly egged the audience on, even suggesting Glasgow would have to work hard to better the Birmingham crowd from the previous night.
Naturally, Glasgow accepted the challenge and… naturally, Glasgow delivered.
As December Falls continue to raise their stock, it surely can’t be long before they are headlining larger venues across the UK and, eventually, beyond. On this showing, they have earned it.
The stage crew were once again frighteningly efficient, stripping the equipment away at remarkable speed and preparing the stage for the headliners. The waiting crowd still appeared to have plenty left in the tank, despite having just been put through their paces by ADF.
Dance Gavin Dance took to the stage beneath subdued red floodlights. It wasn’t necessarily a photographer’s dream, but visually it worked perfectly for the atmosphere. Within seconds, it became abundantly clear that the audience had an alarming amount of energy left… Red Bull anyone?
The volume was turned up to eleven and crowd surfing began almost immediately. Photographers in the pit know the exact moment surfing starts… it’s usually when the first boot or security elbow connects with the back of your head!
Thankfully, SWG3’s pit security were, as usual, more than up to the job of dealing with the increasingly rambunctious crowd.
The Californian band may not look quite like the stereotypical rock outfit, but they certainly know how to deliver. Heavy guitars, screams, melodic vocals and a rock-solid rhythm section combined to create something that was impossible to stand still to.
According to Wikipedia, Dance Gavin Dance occupy a bewildering collection of genres. If I’m being completely honest, I couldn’t tell you what most of them are, never mind whether they are technically correct. What I can say is considerably simpler: whatever it is they do, they are bloody good at it.
With the exception of the drummer (who had his own cardio plan), the band seemed almost incapable of remaining stationary for more than a few seconds. Their energy output was remarkable. The audience matched it and then some; helped in certain cases by youth and what appeared to be a fairly healthy supply of alcohol.
DGD looked every inch the seasoned professionals they are, making the whole thing appear effortless whilst they whirled around the stage without pause, switched from calm delivery to full-throttle screaming and seemed genuinely at home inside their little Glasgow bubble.
‘Animal Surgery’ and the bizarrely named ‘Chucky vs The Giant Tortoise’ sent the crowd into another frenzy as everything clicked into place. Every member of the band played their part and the audience responded in kind.
It was rock ‘n’ roll Nirvana, just with a little bit more Glasgow grunge.
The setlist offered up some gloriously strange titles, including ‘It’s Safe to Say You Dig the Backseat’ and ‘Midnight at McGuffey’s’. But sometimes being a little weird (or simply different) is exactly what makes a band stand out.
By this point, pit security were effectively working overtime, physically if not fiscally, as fans who had previously been content to watch from ground level decided it would be fun to watch the stage whilst being carried upside down by fellow fans!
It was the perfect storm inside a big concrete room in Finnieston.
Inevitably, DGD reached the moment every gig-goer secretly dreads: time to leave.
The main set was complete, with just two encore numbers standing between the fans and the Glasgow streets. ‘All the Way Down’ and ‘Evaporate’ brought the evening to its conclusion.
It wasn’t really an anticlimax. It was something stranger than that; the sudden realisation that the party was over. For the fans, it was as though they had partied like it was 1999 and then, in the blink of an eye, it was all finished.
The memory was still fresh, the euphoria still hanging in the air, and conversations about ‘the next time’ were already beginning as people made their way towards the exits.
Three bands, three enjoyable sets, one thoroughly depleted audience and, for more than a few, a level of tiredness that will probably only be cured by a well-earned bevvie.
*Bevvie (or bevvy, if you prefer) is the Scottish word for alcohol.
And after a night like this, it seems entirely appropriate.
A bloody good night in anybody’s book.
Review & Photographs by John Brown Photography
